Baramulla, Aug 04: Five persons including a trucker from Pakistan-administered Kashmir were charge-sheeted in a local court here for smuggling narcotic brown sugar into the Valley from across the LoC under the garb of cross-border trade.

A year after huge quantity brown sugar was recovered while being smuggled from Pakistan-administered Kashmir (PaK), charges were pressed against the five accused including a truck driver from Muzzafarabad for smuggling of narcotics.

Pertinently, 66.5 kgs of brown sugar were claimed recovered from a truck carrying textile consignment at TFC Salamabad Uri. The bail application of the accused was also rejected by the court.

Advocate Basharat, Additional Public Prosecutor, said charges under Narcotics Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act (NDPSA) were framed against the accused including the PaK driver in the court of Additional Sessions Judge Baramulla, Rajesh Saikree, in case registered under FIR No 54 of 2017 in Police Station Uri following the recovery of 66.5 kgs brown sugar from a consignment of textiles being carried in a truck from PaK.

He said the court also rejected the bail application of the accused and posted the matter for hearing on August 20.